Transvaal_Ranger Posted 12 January , 2005 Share Posted 12 January , 2005 Hi all, I was browsing the net searching for a couple of death plaques to reunite with medal groups (who has honestly had much luck on that front???) and I came across a site which offered resin replicas of the plaques with naming. The plaques I'm after I'm certain are uniques hence the desire the find a suitable replacement for display. I thought that I had bookmarked the page but apparently not. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Has anybody ordered one of these resin replicas? I was wondering whether the quality/appearance is up to scratch? Regards, Transvaal_Ranger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPotter Posted 13 January , 2005 Share Posted 13 January , 2005 Ranger, Never give up! I have managed to re-unite TWO plaques with trios, a MOST satisfying experience I can tell you. Both were unique names and both happened by chance. So keep your eyes open, ears to the ground and explore every opportunity and one day....one day.... Regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 13 January , 2005 Share Posted 13 January , 2005 Ranger I have seen two types of resin plaques - but I think they are from the same mould. The 'standard' resin plaque is light green, and people spray them brown. The other one is a muddy brown, which looks fairly authentic.... from a distance. There is (was?) a medal dealer in London, selling resin plaques. He has a stall next to a railway station. For the life of me, I can't remember which one; Charing Cross...?? Both these resin plaques have to be engraved. Remember, the original bronze plaques had the name cast in raised letters. So I'd follow Steve's advice and put yourself down on Derek Robertson's 'deathpenny' site, to see if you can located the originals. There isn't much difference in price, either. The resin plaques used to cost around £35 plus engraving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transvaal_Ranger Posted 13 January , 2005 Author Share Posted 13 January , 2005 I have managed to re-unite TWO plaques with trios, a MOST satisfying experience I can tell you. Both were unique names and both happened by chance. Steve, Sounds like you're a lucky man! I won't ask how many you still have to reunite (or have tried to reunite)...and I can imagine it is immensely rewarding! One of mine is to an Edward B Sykes. His is unique but there are a handul of "Edward Sykes". Would his plaque have his full name or would it possibly just have his first name? Or is that impossible to tell? Regards, Transvaal_Ranger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transvaal_Ranger Posted 13 January , 2005 Author Share Posted 13 January , 2005 Pete, Many thanks for the feedback. From what you say it sounds like it may be worth sitting and hoping (and waiting) for the real McCoy to turn up. It could be a long wait though... I've listed the two that I'm after on medalfinder and the deathpenny website. Has anyone had much joy with either of those sites? Regards, Transvaal_Ranger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIGEL Posted 13 January , 2005 Share Posted 13 January , 2005 So I'd follow Steve's advice and put yourself down on Derek Robertson's 'deathpenny' site, to see if you can located the originals. There isn't much difference in price, either. The resin plaques used to cost around £35 plus engraving. I believe that STEVEN only paid not much more than £40 for an original from a contact on Dereks site. So to spend £35 for a bit of glue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen White Posted 14 January , 2005 Share Posted 14 January , 2005 So I'd follow Steve's advice and put yourself down on Derek Robertson's 'deathpenny' site, to see if you can located the originals. There isn't much difference in price, either. The resin plaques used to cost around £35 plus engraving. I believe that STEVEN only paid not much more than £40 for an original from a contact on Dereks site. So to spend £35 for a bit of glue The actual price i paid was £46.00 and the dealer supplied a list of ALL the casualties with that name (79 in all).If it is indeed £35.00 for a resin copy,i'd say wait for an original to turn up. Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete Wood Posted 14 January , 2005 Share Posted 14 January , 2005 There have been some successes finding plaques. I believe that, with the leap in modern communications (internet) that this can only rise. Stephen paid a very fair price. I have seen plaques sell for much more, especially within the trade, when the buyer is known to be a relative. Good luck with your search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPotter Posted 14 January , 2005 Share Posted 14 January , 2005 One of mine is to an Edward B Sykes. His is unique but there are a handul of "Edward Sykes". Would his plaque have his full name or would it possibly just have his first name? Or is that impossible to tell? Regards, Transvaal_Ranger Ranger, It is almost impossible to be sure. The name to be put on the plaque, was I believe, supplied by the ARmy Record Office with the details being taken from the serviceman's Attestation Form. Therefore plaques are found to aliases and miss-spellings. The family may well have known him as Edward B... Sykes and he may be recorded on the CWGC in this way, but if his Attestation was simply Edward Sykes then his plaque ought to be thus named. This is of course not accounting for mistakes within the plaque factory itself! I would suggest that an Edward Sykes plaque would be a splendid alternative to a full named one, just in case it doesn't actually exist. Regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Robertson Posted 14 January , 2005 Share Posted 14 January , 2005 Transvaal_Ranger, Just to put a few things into perspective, this week I have had 2 "close encounters" regarding death plaques. The first was when a good friend of mine phoned to say that he had had a discussion with a local scrap dealer. My friend asked the dealer if he ever encountered plaques and was told that he'd melted down at least 200 in the last few years as they were "of no value". Today, I was in an old lady's house and next to her coal fire was hanging a brightly polished death plaque. I asked her if the name was of a family member. She said "No". The plaque had belonged to her friend who had wanted to throw it out with the rubbish. The old lady was upset by this and so she took it home and cared for it. I took a note of the name and looked it up tonight. It is a unique name. When the old lady eventually passes on, I wonder what will become of the plaque? Will it end up with the local scrap metal dealer or with someone who will care for and remember the memory of the soldier it commemorates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Posted 14 January , 2005 Share Posted 14 January , 2005 Transvaal Ranger, As others have said, don't give up on finding the real thing. Membership on this forum has resulted in my re-uniting two plaques with their trios, thanks to the great efforts of Ian Bowbrick and Derek Robertson. Who knows when another might surface? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.wight Posted 14 January , 2005 Share Posted 14 January , 2005 Derek, perhaps she would be willing to entrust it to your care when she passes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transvaal_Ranger Posted 15 January , 2005 Author Share Posted 15 January , 2005 It is almost impossible to be sure. The name to be put on the plaque, was I believe, supplied by the ARmy Record Office with the details being taken from the serviceman's Attestation Form. SPotter, In looking at Sykes's service records his attestation is to "Edward Burton Sykes" (as is his CWGC Entry). However, I do concur - an "Edward Sykes" would be as good as I can hope for. I would be excellent to reunite the plaque with his four. I'll leave it to the forum to guess what four...and no, it's not an MC. Regards, Transvaal_Ranger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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